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5 Ways To Cut Down Your Plastic Use Every Day

Posted 19th February 2018

With the harmful effects of its waste becoming undeniably clear, plastic is currently taking centre stage in environmental debates. Plastic stays in our soil and oceans for over 1000 years before it begins to decompose and it’s estimated that the equivalent of one bin lorry of plastic is added to the ocean every minute.

Not only are animals getting tangled in and mistaking these plastics for food, but harmful chemicals that come from the material are seeping through the ocean and being ingested by sea creatures ranging from plankton to dolphins.

And in addition to this, as animals consume the potentially toxic chemicals that these plastics release, these chemicals can ultimately end up on our own dinner plates…

With this playing on the minds of today’s society, Creative Tops’ product development has evolved to target this issue and offer solutions and alternatives to harmful plastic use.

1. Drink from a reusable water bottle

Just imagine how long that plastic bottle will be around on this Earth after you use it and take a step away from it! A reusable water bottle not only benefits the environment but has a lot of useful features for everyday life too. Our Built Hydration bottles offer an innovative design of being vacuum insulated and double walled, so contents stay cold for up to 24 hours or hot for up to six hours while the outside stays room temperature and comfortable to hold. The lids also have ‘Perfect Seal’ technology which makes them completely leak-proof, so just pop it in your bag and be on your way. In addition to doing good, they also look great too in stylish metallic finishes, pastel tones or bright shocks of colour.

2. Take a travel mug or flask with you

Similar to point one, but this one applies to your morning coffees or your afternoon lattes! Think twice before you head to the coffee shop and take a stylish travel mug or flask with you instead of opting for disposable coffee cups. We offer this type of mug throughout our collections, from our own brand, Ava & I [pictured], to La Cafetière, Built or Katie Alice to suit whatever your style may be.

3. Cut down on coffee pods by choosing a cafetière or espresso pot

Generally coffee pods are not recyclable, while others have to be sent to specialised recycling plants. You can easily cut down on this waste by going traditional and investing in a cafetière or espresso pot to make incredible, richly brewed coffee. In a range of beautiful finishes from our sophisticated La Cafetière collection, these coffee makers also make statement pieces for the home.

4. Pick your own beautiful picnicware instead of single-use plates

Instead of taking plastic plates outdoors for picnics and garden parties, why not choose beautiful and durable tableware you can use again and again? We have a range of collections tailor-made for this purpose, using lightweight and shatter-resistant materials that are just as laid-back as using plastic plates and so much more satisfying to use with their stunning patterns. Choose our tropical-inspired, melamine Drift collection or Festival Folk by Katie Alice [pictured] which styles bright sparks of colour and folk patterns onto natural pressed bamboo.

5. Forget plastic bags forever

Why use a plastic bag when you could be using a washable, beautiful and reusable cotton bag for all kinds of shopping? Not only is making this life change good for the environment but also good for your pocket since the introduction of plastic bag charges. We have a selection of lightweight and soft cotton totes with various designs, but also offer a ‘foldaway’ style where bags with lovely designs fold away into themselves and zip up to a compact case that will fit into a handbag or coat pocket.